


Two Birds With One Stone

by VisionaryDame



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 07:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8392780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisionaryDame/pseuds/VisionaryDame
Summary: Camille had always been a rather self-conscious and nervous young woman, even after teaming up and sailing the seas with the Straw Hat Pirates. This was most notable when it came to appearances as she always made sure she was well-dressed without drawing too much attention to herself, and she always did her best to look modest. Nevertheless, Nami had plans to change that demeanor of hers with a little devious plan all while grabbing the attention of the ever flirtatious cook Sanji just for kicks. It'll be like killing two birds with one stone.However, the navigator isn't the only one with a special plan in mind.[Some SanjiOC]





	1. Chapter 1

_Clink. Clink. Clink._

 

Nami was incapable prying her narrowed brown eyes from white-haired maiden that was Camille, who quietly sat in front of her while glancing in a different direction every so often. The frustration that Nami felt boiling inside her started to become more apparent on her face the longer she sat there, though it was not directed at the young woman sitting before her; at least, not entirely. The navigator, leaning back against her chair a bit, had one hand tapping an empty glass and creating a faint "clink" sound, while the other casually rested on her lap. Her short orange hair was kept back in a short ponytail, but there was that one strand that chose to stand out. Despite the look she had, Camille merely looked away, holding her glass of red wine that was only filled halfway after just taking a few sips from time to time. It was like she was completely ignoring everything that Nami may have been saying, but Nami knew better than to assume such a thing.

 

As the two continued to sit there in a comfortable silence, Nami could not help but recall why on earth she was there in the first place, staring down her comrade as if she had stolen berries right out from under her nose. She had no real reason to be frustrated with Camille, but more toward something – or in this case, _someone_ – in particular.

 

Blinking, the navigator's head turned into the direction Camille was apparently looking at for quite some time, morbid curiosity beginning to take control. Immediately, she spotted the familiar blond hair of Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hats and quite possibly the most well-known womanizer she had ever met, standing at a table in the distance. His hand had fallen against the edge of said table, and a single cigarette was dangling from his lips. He was smiling, too, but that was because he was busy flirting with a brown-haired woman that had entered the bar by herself. A usual sight to see, Nami noted, whenever they had arrived on a new island. Before he left the two women, he said something about "giving the woman company," and from the looks of it, he was doing a damn good job at it. Despite that, Nami could not help but feel a little ticked off. The reason being, in her opinion, was Camille, who had been watching the two every so often and keeping an eye on them.  


Looking back at the female mentioned earlier, Nami could not help but sigh, pausing her tapping of the glass. Camille, upon realizing that the tapping had ceased, looked at the navigator curiously. This gave Nami the brief opportunity to look her over once more. Camille's red-violet eyes stared at the navigator with confusion while two strands of her white swung from side to side caused by the breeze that entered through the nearby open window. The curls at the ends remained intact, as well, while the two black pins still kept her side-swept bangs separate and leaving a part on her left. The rest of it was held back in a low ponytail. Her pale skin was accentuated by the color of her v-neck shirt, which was a light blue color, and the bracelets that were on her wrists – four on her left, two on her right. Underneath the shirt was a bikini top with a mesh of blues, greens, and yellows from their time at the beach, though Camille never removed the shirt to reveal it; Nami knew this because she had seen it before Camille had changed that morning and made her put it on. It was different from the usual sleeveless dress that she commonly wore, as Nami could still see that she was very uncomfortable wearing the shirt and shorts, but the navigator was not going to let her walk off the ship without dressing her up a bit. It was the least she could do for her friend, especially someone as shy as Camille.  


"I know you're jealous of her, Camille," Nami suddenly said out loud. The comment seemed to come entirely out of left field, so much so it almost threw Camille for a loop.

 

"What's that, Nami?" The explosives technician questioned, leaning forward a bit and revealing a bit of her cleavage unintentionally. Despite the small size, even Nami could tell that Camille had _some_ size for her breasts, though that was the least of her concern at the moment. "It's hard to hear with all of this talking going on."

 

Nami mirrored the meek girl's actions by sitting up and leaning against the table, fixing her red tank top in the process.  


"I said," she repeated, "I know you're jealous of that girl Sanji is talking to over there."

 

Camille's eyes widened a bit at that, only this time it was out of surprise, before looking back in Sanji's direction. Nami did the same, taking note of the woman laughing at something the cook said, before looking back at Camille. Her body had turned forward to face the navigator, but Camile continued to watch the two from afar, smiling as she did so; an odd thing to do when accused of being jealous of someone.  


"Why would I be jealous?" Camille asked before looking back at Nami. Her smile still remained on her face as she continued, "I'm well aware that Sanji is flirtatious when he sees other women. I've known that for years." Her eyes closed again just as her fingers began drumming against the table, a trait Nami realized was a sign of anxiety.

 

"And yet, he doesn't do the same to you," Nami pointed out, crossing her arms.

 

Camille looked at her immediately and shook her head.

 

"Not true! He has flirted with me countless times before," she pointed out, taking a sip of wine.

 

"Not unless I'm around," Nami noted.

 

When she set down her cup, Camille's eyes became distant.

 

"Not true either," she stated. "eSanji did a lot of flirting with me back at the Baratie when we were closing for the night." She looked at Nami again. "Even now, when we finish dinner on the ship, he would do it while we cleaned the kitchen."  


"If that's true, then answer me this," Nami started, leaning against the table again as her chin felt against her hand. "When was the last time that actually happened?"

 

Camille suddenly became silent, lips forming a slight frown, as she tried to think. After a moment, she smiled again.

 

“Does that really matter?" She questioned. "I don't mind if he doesn't do it to me often. It doesn't change anything about our relationship." She briefly paused, realizing what she had said before quickly continuing, "A-as friends, of course!"

 

“It does if I’m trying to prove a point," Nami answered with a mischievous grin. Camille, incapable of coming up with a response, unconsciously took a sip of her wine and shifted her gaze. The response caused Nami to giggle. "I figured as much, and that's why I dressed you up tonight. And you look great if I do say so myself."  


After putting the cup down, Camille's brows furrowed curiously.

 

"You dressed me up like this just you could get Sanji to flirt with me more?" She inquired. Nami shrugged and nodded while Camille sighed. "I really don't see how that would be beneficial. It's not that big of a deal, really."

 

"It's not really for that, though that would be a plus," Nami explained, sitting up straight. Then, she winked devilishly. "It's more to...show off what you've got. Just a little."

 

Her comment only made Camille's brows furrow more than before, her body sinking into her chair a bit more, and her eyes widened ever so slightly. It was not out of confusion or curiosity, but bashfulness. A blush slowly began to form on her face, and it was hard for her to hide from the navigator due to her light skin.

 

Nami knew that Camille was extremely shy when it came to showing off her figure even though it was evident from the get-go she had one. It was something that Camille would never dream of doing, especially in front of a crowd of people. Nami assumed it was self-consciousness that made her think that way since she could see that Camille was fidgeting at the mere mentioning of showing off her body to anyone.

 

With that in mind, the navigator only just recently had thoughts of figuring out ways to break that self-conscious streak. Camille, however, was not so confident in that idea, especially if it meant showing off in public, let alone in a bar full of drunks who were more than capable of taking advantage of her before she could have a chance to say no. Nami considered it a phobia for Camille, but it was only the girl's sheepishness that bothered her. She did not like when people looked at her body and figure instead of her face and eyes, primarily when it was people she did not know. Sanji had done so a few times, as Nami had noticed, yet Camille did not seem mind in the slightest. Probably because she knew Sanji well enough to know how he acted in front women he found attractive. In this situation, Nami knew it was hitting two birds with one stone; not only would Camille hopefully break out of her shell a bit more, but also grab Sanji's attention at the same time.  


Speaking of the cook in question, Nami could not help but steal a quick glance at Sanji to see what he was up to now. To her surprise, she had caught him stealing a glance in their direction before looking back at the woman he was conversing with. She could quickly tell that he was not looking her in particular, but more so at Camille. Maybe he sensed that her mood suddenly changed and wanted to make sure that she was doing alright. Whatever the case might have been, Nami decided that it was a chance to take while it was open.  


"I think it's about time to start showing off what you've got, Camille," she told her as she looked back at the still blushing Camille. Her red-violet eyes looked at the navigator as she went on. "He's looking over here as if he knows you're getting nervous. Now's more than enough of a chance to strut your stuff."

 

Camille rolled her eyes.

 

"E-even if I wanted to," she started, "how would I do that in a shirt like this? It's not very revealing, especially for a body type like mine..." Nami grinned smugly, hinting at something that Camille would hopefully pick up on. After a few moments of giving her a questioning look, Camille's eyes widened in horror, and she sat up straight in her seat. "N-n-no! Absolutely not!" She exclaimed in a low tone to not attract others. "There are people here, men especially!"

 

Nami sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

"Oh, it's no big deal," she pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone, "and besides, who cares what these people think about a girl like you taking her shirt off? People do that all the time."  


Camille immediately shushed her as if she did not want people to hear her their conversation before saying, " _I_ do! I'm not gonna go throwing off my shirt just so I could grab one man’s attention. It'll attract everyone else's, and I'll...I’ll look like some skank!"

 

Nami glanced at the woman Sanji was conversing with, taking note to the attire that was clearly meant for showing off her cleavage and a lot more skin than usual.

 

"So does she, but he's not complaining, and neither is anyone else," she muttered out loud. Camille blinked and looked over her shoulder in the same direction. However, it did not last long, as she suddenly gasped and looked away. Nami looked at her quickly, noticing the widening of her eyes again. "What's wrong?"

 

"That look in her eyes," Camille muttered almost unconsciously, her eyes staring into her drink as if there were another pair of eyes staring right back at her.

 

"What about it?"

 

"I recognize that look. That woman...she's planning on using him." At that point, her eyes suddenly narrowed. "She's just gonna toy with his emotions as if everything he's saying means nothing."  


"I'm pretty sure other girls have done that before, Camille," Nami stated almost nonchalantly. "It shouldn't be a big deal. Even I do it every once in a while to get what I want, and Sanji seems to know it, too."  


"But...at least you respect him as a person," Camille pointed out, her voice lowering a bit further. The grip around her glass tightened a bit. "But that woman is...different. It looks as though she not even paying attention to what he's saying." She paused for a moment before shaking her head a bit. "It's not true. I know he means every word, down to the period at the end of every sentence, even if he knows he'll never see them again." Her jaw locked while Nami simply listened, her eyes widening; she had not seen Camille so upset about anything before, letting alone about a nameless woman that Sanji had been flirting with since they got there. "The thought of that woman using him makes me so...so angry..."  


When she heard that, Nami could not help but perk up and smile before leaning into the table. She had an idea.

 

"Then you know what you've gotta do," she told her, earning Camille's gaze within seconds. “I mean, if you want to, that is. After all,” the mischievous look returned to her eyes, “you definitely look better than she does, and I’m sure Sanji will notice.”

 

The anger in Camille's eyes disappeared slowly, clearly thinking about her words very intently. It was evident that she considering something she would most likely regret shortly. Just looking in her eyes was enough for anyone to notice that fact. However, Nami's gaze merely encouraged her into doing it. She would be more than happy with taking the blame for that later if she had to. For now, Camille just had to go with it, and that was precisely what she did.

 

As if under a spell, Camille stood up from her seat, inhaling a slow and shaky breath, before her hands fell upon the hem of her shirt. Nami sat back and glanced over in Sanji's direction, who had stolen a glance in her direction just at the right time. What perfect timing! When she looked back at Camille, her eyes widened just as she watched Camille pull her shirt over head, tossing it onto the table right next to her drink. Nami had to admit one thing: Camille was undoubtedly an attractive woman, and anyone that said otherwise had to be insane or blind. Apparently, other people in the bar noticed that as well.

 

The second it came off, the sound of catcalls and whistling from the drunk men in the bar was heard, freezing Camille in her spot. Nami smiled at her, a combination of assurance and mischievousness while Camille shut her eyes tightly. Her arms would have shaken violently were she not trying to hold it in and ignore the sounds around her. Nami could tell that it was incredibly nerve-racking for the technician, as they were sounds she did not get very often due to abhorring unwanted attention. However, as far as Nami could see, or at least in Camille's mind, she was only doing it to keep Sanji from getting his emotions played with by a stranger.  


While all of that went on, Nami could not help but look over at Sanji, whose expression nearly made her laugh out loud. It was a look of complete surprise, the cigarette that was once on his lips gone as it fell to the ground, as he stared at Camille, who was growing visibly tenser than before. The woman in question stared at him briefly before looking in Camille's direction as well, a faint glare forming in her eyes. No doubt a few inappropriate names ran through her head; however, the navigator did not care about that and continued watching Sanji, whose face had turned to a slightly noticeable red shade. She knew that that would have been his reaction from the start and that the situation that was taking place would happen once Camille did as the navigator suggested. The question that remained, however, is what Sanji would do now?  


Instead of watching to see what could happen, Nami looked back at Camille, noticing her tense to a point where she was unable to move a single muscle.  


"I think it's working," she informed the nervous girl with a small grin. "If you want, you can put your shirt on again. I think that's good enough for one day." Instead of complying and answering her, Camille remained unusually silent, her stance mirroring that of a statue while her head continued to hang and shield her eyes from view. It was not until another few beats passed that she mumbled something under her breath. Nami noticed that she had said something, and she could tell that something was very clearly wrong. "Camille?"

 

"I-I...can't...move..." She mumbled louder, enough for Nami to hear. The navigator's eyebrow raised slightly at that before Camille continued. "I-I...can't breathe..." She, then, raised her head ever so slightly, her eyes rounding out of fear and anxiety. "I-I'm too tense."

 

"Too...tense?" Nami inquired worriedly, ignoring another call from one of the drunk men nearby.  


 

"E-everyone is...everyone is looking at me," Camille stuttered, closing her eyes again and clenching her noticeably shaking fists. "E-everyone is...l-looking at me. J-judging me. C-calling me...names..."  


“W-what are you talking about? No one is saying anything about you.” At that point, Nami was anxious herself; did she really cause Camille to panic and become self-conscious to the point that her body just shut down? "J-just pick your shirt up and put it on. It's really no big deal." Camille did not respond, repeating her words to herself as if she were a broken record. At that point, Nami became scared. "C-Camille, just put it back on. You're really starting to scare me."

 

Instead of responding, Camille continued repeating her words; it was like she was reliving a dark moment from her past and was incapable of moving an inch. In a way, it looked as though she had been trapped in an infinite loop of crippling anxiety, unable to escape no matter how much she tried to fight against it.

 

Nami was not aware that that the mere idea of being watched by everyone would bring back so many bad memories, and it started to scare her even more as time ticked away. She did not plan for Camille's anxiety to this point; she just wanted her to do something out of the ordinary and feel good about it in the end. The fact that the technician was so frightened over everyone looking at her, and in some cases judging her, made her regret the idea altogether. Had she known about this situation occurring ahead of time then she would have thought of something else, something that would have been a little easier on her and less panic-inducing. Just thinking about it only made her feel worse about doing suggesting it in the first place. Now, all she could think of was getting out of her seat, grabbing her shirt and pulling Camille right out of that situation and back to the ship.

 

However, someone else already had that in mind and acted first.  


Within seconds, someone had come from behind Camille, wrapping their arms around her in something dark. It immediately caused both Camille and Nami to gasp in surprise, but the panicked Camille appeared more terrified. Nami did not have time to react to the stranger, but she soon realized just what the dark material was: a black jacket and a very familiar one at that. After a closer inspection, she realized who it belonged to before looking at the stranger. It was none other than Sanji; he was using his jacket to cover Camille and break her from her trance of anxiety.

 

Without a word to either of them, he grabbed her shirt and ran out of the bar, holding onto Camille's hand and leading her out without giving her a chance to look back. She did not say a word and followed him out with her head hanging low. No doubt she knew who it was, or else she would have made a scene right then and there. Nami stood up and watched them disappear through the door, possibly toward the docks and back to the ship.

 

Everything else seemed to return to normal with ease as if none of it had happened at all, yet Nami remained standing awkwardly, taking a moment to register what had happened for a moment.

 

She was not surprised by the fact that Sanji had noticed the actions Camille had taken, removing her shirt and revealing nothing but a bikini top in a bar full of drunks. What did surprise her, though, was that he _knew_ Camille was becoming more and more anxious, and he _knew_ she was placed in a grave situation. With that in mind, before she could even get out of her seat and get out of there herself, he was already there, pulling her out of the bar as if he read Nami's mind before she had a chance to think about her next move.

 

That made Nami think a little. Did a similar situation happen in the past, and he knew just how to handle it? Questions like that and others ran through the navigator's mind, yet she chose against trying to figure them out. As long as Camille was away from what made her nervous and scared, Nami felt a little more at ease. Plus, she was with Sanji now, someone both girls could trust...even if he was a womanizer.

 

Closing her eyes and sighing with relief, Nami slowly sat down in her seat again, staring at her empty cup for the longest time and ignoring any glances that people might have made after what happened. On the inside, she was regretting the whole idea altogether and prayed that Camille would be alright.

 

At that, she felt a small smile on her lips. It was just as Nami thought before: Camille was with Sanji now. She would be just fine.


	2. Chapter 2

The night was still young as Sanji and Camille silently made their way back to the docks, where their ship resided as an empty vessel since the other crewmates were doing their own thing at this point. There was not a single person in the streets, but one could tell that the population was quite high based on the town's size. The two had already left the small town, however, after nearly sprinting out of the bar and out toward the docks before coming to a slow walk. Camille still had Sanji's jacket covering her, holding it closed with one of her hands while the other held her shirt. Her head was hanging low in shame, and she still felt very anxious as she remembered the events that had taken place. Sanji remained by her side, his cigarette still hanging from his lips while his hands stayed in his pockets. His gaze was straight and holding a blank stare; not a single emotion was visible on his face, or that was what Camille had seen before she lowered her head to avoid looking at him. Unbeknownst to her, though, they were walking somewhat close to the other, and their pace was almost the same were it not for Camille sauntering behind him ever so slightly.  


Neither had said a word to one another since the incident in the bar, causing what seemed to be an incredibly awkward and uncomfortable walk back to the ship. The silence made Camille feel as if she had done something wrong, and she was afraid she was going to be in trouble for it once they got back. She could almost picture it inside her head: a look of disappointment, questions as to why she would do something like that, the whole nine yards. The technician could not even look up to see Sanji's blank stare looking ahead, fearful that his eyes would give away what he was feeling. Deep down, she could almost tell that he was just as embarrassed about it as she was.

 

The mere thought only made her shrink and slow her pace down just a bit, enough to be walking behind him just a little. She felt terrible for even attempting it; she knew it was a stupid idea from the start, and yet she convinced herself that maybe it would keep Sanji from getting used by another heartless woman by distracting him. Despite that, however, Camille still felt horrible for doing it, especially since she started to panic when all eyes fell upon her. She thought she was no better than that woman, just some attention seeker trying to make every woman in the room jealous while a young man for her personal needs. The feeling of nearly every pair of eyes falling upon her left a chill down her spine, wondering what inappropriate thoughts crossed their minds as they looked at her like she was a slab of meat.  


After a long moment, Camille slowly looked forward a bit, red-violet eyes narrowing as she thought about the past for a moment. How could they think inappropriately about her when she did not even have big enough breasts to back her up? As stupid of a question as it may have been, it was a sudden thought that just appeared from seemingly nowhere. She was not as voluptuous as some of the women she had seen there. She may have been small and had the "curves to put other women to shame," as Nami so eloquently put it, but it still did not change the fact that she had a smaller size bust and waist. That said, why would other women be jealous of someone like Camille? As far as they knew, she was just some wannabe attention seeker grabbing the attention of guys with looks she thought she had. Of course, if they knew her well enough, then they would realize that Camille was only trying to protect her friend from getting his emotions toyed by a heartless woman, something that happened far too often for her liking. That was the only reason she even considered stripping in front of an entire bar filled with drunk men who probably would have approached her and taken advantage of the situation if Sanji did not drag her out of there in the nick of time.  


Just as that thought came to mind, Camille suddenly felt herself slow her pace to the point of halting, her head lowering toward the ground yet again. Sanji did not seem to notice, yet Camille's mind was off in a different world. Her mind settled on the man that she was walking next to just a few moments ago, a man she considered a very dear friend.

 

What was going through his mind at this point now that everything had settled down? Was he genuinely upset with what she had done? He may have seen things like that before, but he never would have thought that someone like Camille, someone who was so keen on _not_ flashing a crowd or showing off her body for attention, would do the same. Did he like the idea? Was he going to be defensive about it, tell her that it was something she should not have done in the first place? Her mind was reeling, and it only made her feel even worse than before. His reaction to everything was something that worried her to no end and not knowing made her even more anxious.  


"Camille?"

 

She jumped a bit at the sound of her name, looking up just a little to notice the brown eyes of Sanji looking at her. The look he was giving her was one of curiosity, and she could have sworn it had a hint of concern as well. He was at a short distance from her, his hands still in his pocket and his cigarette still hanging from his lips.

 

She did not say anything at first, merely staring at him with a blank yet troubled stare, before lowering head again, shrinking away from him even more.  


"I'm sorry, Sanji..." She muttered, pulling his jacket over her just a bit. It looked as though she was trying to hide. "I truly am..."  


Sanji looked at her for a long moment before asking, "You're sorry?" She nodded once. "Why are you so apologetic?"  


"For what happened at the bar," she explained. She started to look very uncomfortable at that point, keeping her gaze in a direction that was not his. "I know you're probably mad at me...for what happened...but...I...well..."

 

Camille could not form the words that she wanted to express. She was genuinely fearful of what Sanji would think of her after tonight. He was aware that the technician would never try to seek out his attention for anything, that she was okay with him flirting with other girls the way he did. Now, however, when the tables suddenly turned, she was unsure as to what he would think. It was not until he spoke that it started to change.  


"Do you honestly think I'm mad at you for stripping in a bar?" Sanji questioned. It sounded a lot like he was genuinely surprised. Blinking, Camille mustered up the courage to finally look at him, only to notice the smile that was on his face. "Is that why you seem really uncomfortable right now? Because you think I'm angry with you for what happened?"  


Straightening herself a bit, Camille shamefully nodded.

 

"Well...y-yeah..." She stuttered before looking away again. "I mean, why wouldn't you be? You've always been so defensive of me when other men tried to hit on me." Her eyes shifted again. "Doing what only brought attention to me, your attention. But...in the end, it made me freeze up and panic." She sighed and closed her eyes. "You probably think I'm an idiot...but I had a good reason for it. At least, I think so..."

 

Sanji chuckled at her words, making her open her eyes again and look at him, before he responded, "Is that so? Well, what _was_ that reason?" He started to walk toward her as he removed the cigarette from his lips. "I'm curious to know."

 

Camille swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in her throat as she tried to find the words. She did not want to make it seem like she was trying to grab his attention and show off. Sanji knew well enough to know that Camille would not even dream of trying to get his attention similar to what happened that night. She already had claimed it on numerous occasions, most of which she never had to lift a finger for, but making attempts when he was nowhere near her was out of the question. As she told Nami before, she did not mind when Sanji flirted with other women; it did not matter to her because it was in his nature to do so. He was a womanizer, flirtatious to the T, but that did not make him an evil person. Why would she be upset or jealous over something that he did on a consistent basis with only the best of intentions? In fact, why would she become that way when he did the same with her? Granted, Nami had proved a point when she asked when the last time he had done so was – which, to be fair on Camille's end, was quite some time ago – but still, it did not prove anything. She knew her reasons for pulling a stunt like that; there was a good reason, in her opinion, for why she caused such a situation to occur.  


Biting her lower lip briefly, Camille looked at him again just as he stopped in front of her, making her head move a bit upward. She recalled how considerably short she was in comparison to Sanji, who was about six and a half inches taller, but the height difference was not something she was concerned about at that moment.  


"W-well..." Camille slowly started, fidgeting with Sanji's black jacket for only a moment. "T-the reason I did it w-was..." She took another moment to form her words before sighing. "I did it because...because I didn't want the woman you were flirting with...to hurt you." Sanji blinked at that while Camille looked at him, waiting for his response. It did not take long, though, as he started to laugh hysterically, his hands falling onto his stomach. That made her look at him out of surprise. "W-why are you laughing? I was genuinely worried that she would hurt you when she had the chance!"  


"I-I believe you, Camille! Don't worry!" He told her mid-laughter. Her eyes narrowed out of hurt as she began to pout as well, finding it hard to believe him due to his sudden burst of laughter. When he started to stop, his hands fell upon her shoulders, his head bowing as he brought his laughter down to a minimum. "It just surprises me," he went on just as his laughter died out completely.  


Camille blinked before asking, "It surprises you that I was worried about your well-being?"

 

He shook his head before looking into her eyes, causing her to blush; it was a look she had seldom seen on the cook's face.

 

"It's not that," he told her. Then, his smile grew. "It surprises me that you would go to such a length just to look out for me." Her blush darkened a bit while her eyes shifted. "Hey, it's not like I haven't been hurt before. I know it'll happen sometimes, and I've come to accept that."  


"Yeah, but I..." She looked back at him. "I don't _want_ that to happen. I understand how you are, but just because you're a womanizer, it doesn't make you a bad person." 

 

Sanji shrugged.

 

"Not many will see it that way, Camille," he informed her. "But hey, look on the bright side," He winked at her. "I'll always have my little dove to look out for me, right?"

 

Her eyes widened briefly before a small smile formed on her lips. After a few seconds, she nodded once and said, "Of course. I'll always be there to keep you safe." Her grip on the jacket loosened a bit. "Just don't expect me to do something like this anytime soon. I-I'm still anxious just thinking about the whole thing." Sanji looked down at his jacket, eyeing it for a moment before he moved his hands over where hers held it closed. She looked down at his hands as they pulled hers apart. "S-Sanji! What are you doing?!" She exclaimed, her blush darkening even more.  


Once he opened it completely, revealing her top and making her feel even more embarrassed than before, he looked her over once before looking into her eyes again. He still had on that smile of his; the only difference between the others was that assured her that he was interested in... _that_ .

 

"Why wouldn't you?" He inquired. Camille remained silent, brows furrowed curiously, as he went on. "To be quite honest, you look absolutely stunning like this."

 

This time, Camille could not help but smile that familiar smile Sanji knew too well; it was the same one she had when she was not falling for his flattery, yet appreciated his words.

 

"Coming from the womanizer," she playfully remarked, moving her hands from the jacket and placing them on his shoulders. "But I do appreciate the thought. Still," she raised an eyebrow, "I'm not gonna be doing this again."

 

He sighed in mock hurt.

 

"How it breaks my heart to hear you say that, my sweet Camille," he whined, earning a light giggle from the young girl as she moved away from him. She was still near him, but Sanji allowed his hands to fall back to his sides.  


"Well, I'm gonna head back to the ship," she told him as she started to remove the jacket. Before she could do that, Sanji's hand fell onto her shoulder, preventing her from removing the jacket. She looked at him curiously. "Hm? Don't you want this back?"

 

He shook his head.

 

"No, I'll let you hold onto it," he told her. "I think you'll need it more than I do."

 

Camille smiled at that and put it back on, choosing against pulling her arms through the sleeves rather than leaving it on her shoulders. His scent still lingered on it – along with the smell of cigarette smoke – and it made her feel calm. Without saying anything else, she waved a small goodbye to him as she walked past him and toward the ship, leaving him to his thoughts.

 

Unbeknownst to her, however, his genuine smile eventually turned to an accomplished grin as Sanjibrought his cigarette back to his lips.

 

 

 _I knew it would work_ , he told himself, taking a drag before allowing the smoke to escape his lips. _I really should thank Nami for the help._  


It had all worked out just the way he had planned. He did not think the plan would go through after he spoke to Nami, who was furious the first time she heard it. He could not blame her, though; convincing her to trick Camille into doing something out of her comfort zone did sound a bit odd, and it was worse when he threw the suggestion of having Camille strip in public. Now that he thought about it, he could still feel the sting on his cheek from where Nami punched him.

 

According to Sanji, he would have liked to see Camille be a little less self-conscious. It was not because he disliked the way she was, as the enraged Nami quickly assumed when he first brought it up, but because he wanted her to see just how unique and beautiful she was, even if she did have difficulties believing it. Truth be told, Sanji did not mind Camille's self-conscious ways in the slightest. Seeing her blush or smile whenever he complimented her or gave her gifts made him feel good; it was his way of showing her that she mattered to him, even if there was some playful flirting here and there.

 

Still, Sanji could tell that something was going on in that head of hers, and he wanted to figure it out without asking her. Knowing her all too well, Camille would assure him that she was just fine. He was aware that there was always something between them after she became a waitress at the Baratie. Very few women made him feel that way, and Camille was one of them. However, she was one of the few women that strengthened that connection to the point where it was practically unbreakable. Unfortunately, since she was always keeping to herself, he never got around to figuring her out as much as he would have liked, thus forming the brilliant plan.

 

 

As much as she was against the idea at first, after explaining himself as best as he could without sounding like his intentions were ill, Nami eventually gave in and decided to help him with his "plan."  


The way he set it up was straightforward, as he had Nami do most of the work and making it less suspicious on his part. She would have dressed up Camille in something cute as if trying to grab his or someone else's attention. After getting off the ship, Sanji informed Luffy that he was heading into town to "look for food," which he knew Nami would doubt hear about it and follow after him with Camille, claiming the two would help him on his search. After making sure he was at a good enough distance, Sanji suggested that they go somewhere together before getting the food that he claimed to be looking to buy. Nami agreed with him, while Camille followed behind without question, as the three headed into the first place Sanji laid eyes on, which just so happened to be the bar. While it may not have been the best location to choose from, he figured it was a start. After all, Camille was used to being in places like that, so Sanji presumed it would be okay. Once inside, and after they found their seats and got their drinks, he wanted to find someone that he felt would be threatening to Camille, someone that she knew was not a good individual to him. As much as he hated the idea of using another woman for his own needs, he told himself it was for a good cause: helping a dear friend gain confidence.

 

When he found the woman in question, Sanji made his way over to her, but not before telling the two women about what he was doing, explaining to them he was "giving her company." Nami, playing along with what he was doing, made a sarcastic comment about how that was his way of saying, "I'm ditching you two to flirt with this other woman." Camille, oblivious to what was happening, smiled and commented how sweet it was for him to do that, a response he expected. After he left and started talking to her for some time, he looked over to find Nami speaking to a now embarrassed Camille apparently being told to do something that she was not very comfortable with doing. At the time, Sanji did not know what Nami was telling her to do, but he certainly did not expect his wild suggestion of Camille stripping in public to be a viable option that Nami considered, especially after punching him for even conceiving the idea. That was what he thought until, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Camille look in his direction, look back at Nami, and do just that.

 

Just when he thought things were going to plan, however, both Sanji and Nami realized just how tense she suddenly became, closing her eyes tightly and her breathing rapidly increasing as she started to panic. It was evident that the looks everyone gave her made her feel uncomfortable to the point where she was incapable of just sitting back down and ignoring everyone around her. Instead of allowing it to continue, Sanji immediately made his way over to her, taking off his jacket and using it to cover her, and pulled her out of the bar as fast as possible. During the walk back, he thought the plan, or what was left of it, had turned into a bust and felt guilty for putting her through that. He may have convinced Nami to help Camille become less self-conscious, but he did not think the plan would fall apart the way it did, especially with the way she was affected by it. That is until she suddenly apologized for embarrassing him in public, to which he turned it back around and tried to make her feel better about herself.

 

It may not have been much, but it was definitely a start, and he was certainly not going to let her leave without knowing he was not upset with her. It was his idea, after all.  


Once everything was said and done, one may ask what the point the plan was after all those ups and downs. Well, for Sanji, one of the reasons was an attempt to help Camille be more confident in herself, as he had explained to Nami. However, there was one other reason for it, one that he "neglected" to tell her, even if he did feel it was important to leave out for now. The other reason for it all was to prove that Camille had feelings for him. As silly as it may have sounded, he was able to figure out, with Nami's help, that Camille saw him as more than just a friend without even having to ask her himself. He was able to have Nami not only convince Camille to attract his attention and break her self-conscious streak but simultaneously prove that she cared him enough to go so far as to put herself in the most distressed state she had ever been in. Sure, it may have been a rather silly way of doing it, but if she was willing to take a significant step out of her comfort zone without questioning, then it had to mean something.  


Sanji could not help but smile even more as he placed his cigarette on his lips while his other hand slipped into his pocket as he muttered a single phrase: "Looks like I killed two birds with one stone after all."


End file.
